Ce-UnPac'd : Nestlé's Abhorrent Rap Sheet - The Cummins Accountability Project

You walk into any supermarket, and there it is: the Nestlé empire. KitKats, Nescafé, Maggi noodles, Perrier water-hell, even the baby formula aisle is stacked with their stuff. It’s the kind of ubiquity that makes you think they’ve got it all figured out. But behind that shiny packaging and those catchy jingles, there’s a rot that runs deep. This isn’t just about a few bad apples or a slip-up in quality control. This is about a corporation that’s been playing fast and loose with ethics for decades, and somehow, we’re all still buying it.

The Baby Formula Hustle

Let’s start with the babies. Yeah, you heard me. Nestlé’s been in the business of convincing mothers in the poorest parts of the world that their powdered milk is better than the real thing. Never mind that in places where clean water is a luxury, mixing formula can be a death sentence for infants. Picture this: a new mother in a rural village, exhausted, vulnerable. A woman dressed as a nurse-because that’s what Nestlé did, they dressed their salespeople as nurses-hands her a tin of formula, tells her it’s the best thing for her baby. The mother, trusting this ‘medical professional,’ starts using it. But the water she mixes it with is dirty, and soon her baby is sick, maybe even dying. And Nestlé? They’re counting their profits, untouched by the tragedy they’ve caused. The boycott that started in the 70s is still going in some places, but Nestlé keeps pushing, because why change when you’re making billions?

Chocolate’s Dirty Secret

Then there’s the chocolate. Who doesn’t love a KitKat? But would you still snap one in half if you knew it might have been made with cocoa picked by kids who were trafficked and enslaved? Imagine being a kid in Mali, snatched from your family, forced to work on a cocoa farm for no pay, under the threat of violence. You’re harvesting the beans that will end up in a Nestlé chocolate bar. And Nestlé says they can’t trace every bean, that it’s too complicated. But for that kid, it’s not complicated. It’s his life. They claim they’re working on it, but when you’ve got millions of children in your supply chain, ‘working on it’ sounds a lot like ‘we don’t really care.’

Food That Bites Back

And let’s not forget the food itself. Melamine in milk-that’s the stuff they use to make plastic, by the way-killed six babies in China. E. coli in cookie dough, lead in noodles. It’s like Nestlé’s playing Russian roulette with your dinner, and we’re all just hoping we don’t get the bullet. In 2008, their milk was linked to hundreds of thousands of sick kids, and they denied it until the evidence was undeniable. Then, in 2015, Maggi noodles were banned in India for containing lead levels 17 times the legal limit. But hey, they reformulated and relaunched, because nothing says ‘we care about your health’ like a quick rebrand.

Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink

Water, the essence of life. Nestlé sees it as just another commodity to bottle and sell. They’ve been pumping it out of drought-stricken areas, leaving communities high and dry, all while they’re sipping Perrier in boardrooms. In Michigan, they were granted rights to pump 250 gallons per minute, with plans to increase it, despite local opposition. The U.S. Forest Service noted that their activities were drying up local water resources, but Nestlé kept going, because when you’re too big to fail, who cares about a few thirsty locals?

Sugar-Coated Exploitation

But wait, there’s more. In 2024, they got caught adding sugar to baby food in poor countries while selling the sugar-free stuff to the rich. Because why not profit off the health of the most vulnerable? It’s not like those kids can fight back. A report found up to 7.3 grams of added sugar per serving in products sold in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while the versions in wealthier countries had none. It’s exploitation, plain and simple, and it shows exactly where Nestlé’s priorities lie.

The Perrier Shitshow

And just when you think it can’t get worse, along comes the Perrier scandal. Illegal filters, contaminated water, and a government cover-up. Nestlé admitted to using banned filters and ultraviolet treatment on their ‘natural’ mineral water, a practice dating back to the 90s, with an estimated fraud of 3 billion euros. The French government knew since 2021 but did nothing, and when it all came out, Nestlé paid a €2-million fine-pocket change for them-and kept on trucking. In May 2025, they were ordered to remove their microfiltration system, but the damage was done. Two million bottles destroyed due to contamination, and yet, they’re still in business, because at the end of the day, we’re too addicted to their products to care.

The Reckoning

So, what’s the takeaway here? That Nestlé is evil incarnate? Maybe. But more importantly, it’s that we, the consumers, have the power to demand better. Every time you buy a Nestlé product, you’re voting with your wallet. You’re saying, ‘This is okay.’ But is it? Look at the evidence. Look at the lives affected. And ask yourself: is that chocolate bar worth it?

Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project

Sources

Ce-UnPac’d : Nestlé’s Abhorrent Rap Sheet